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THE Saturday before Royal Ascot has always been one of the hardest to try to dissect with the three main cards across Chester, York and Sandown Park, but it also gives us a chance to get some each-way value in the big handicaps and money in the bank for the five-day Berkshire meeting.

There are plenty of valuable races on each of the three cards, but from a betting perspective, the 14-furlong handicap at Sandown interests me most of all, especially with the forecast of warmer and drier weather.

John and Thady Gosden’s Marnier will be of interest to many off top weight, equating to a mark of 85, and there are several lines of form suggesting he should make a mark in this grade. The negative is that, in his three runs since winning a weak maiden at Lingfield Park, he has not looked a particularly strong stayer over a mile and a half. As we know, this trip around the Esher circuit can prove demanding in a strongly run race.

Jonathon Portman’s Personal Best was next on my list, but the daughter of Time Test has twice run at the track, failing abysmally on one occasion and finishing a close up fourth on another. The key to her chance may lie with being able to settle early on, as she does have a tendency to pull quite hard and over race in the initial stages, giving her no chance of staying. However, last time out there were better signs when she was a bit unlucky in the home run at Newbury and the handicapper has kept her on the same mark of 78 here.

So in the end, I have come down on the side of outsider TROJAN STORM (5.07). A winner off marks of 70 and 74 this time last year, he found the handicapper in charge off a rating in the high 70s. However, he has now dropped back to a mark of 73, following a run that was better than his finishing position suggested when seventh of 10, beaten five and three-quarter lengths, behind Masterinthewoods at Salisbury. 

That was over a mile and a half which was always going to be too short and this step back up in trip looks made to measure. If at least eight go to post then he looks a value each-way play against rivals that have question marks over them.

Earlier on the card, Crown Office is interesting in the seven furlong, three-year-old handicap at 3.55 after being gelded and having run way too freely on his comeback run at Newbury. He is probably better than that run suggests and a mark of 84 could well be underplaying his potential. The Charlie Hills-trained Cashbox falls into the same category, having also endured a harsh drop in the weights and blown out on his second season debut, so the vote goes to Bunbury Cup entry MALACHY’S WISH.

A winner of both his maiden and novice events last back-end, Showcasing ended the season at York, where a wide draw and racing too freely ultimately did for him. The betting will tell us whether he is ready for this comeback run or just being revved up for that valuable Newmarket prize, but he has the scope to improve considerably if he has taken a step forward from his juvenile campaign.

I looked at the feature Scurry Stakes and to be honest, simply found it too difficult to dissect so it was the fillies’ handicap at 2.05 that looked a better punting heat with HATOUR the pick.

This daughter of Sioux Nation was on my radar from the end of last season when a big eye-catcher in a Newmarket maiden, but on each of her starts at Lingfield and Wolverhampton there is no denying that she has been very disappointing. I am hoping that the return to turf will suit her a lot better than those two sand runs and a mark of 77 looks well within her compass here.

The Queen Mother’s Cup Handicap is always on my radar and this year’s renewal at York looks a cracking event. Run over a mile and a half for female amateur jockeys, there is a surprisingly small field of nine set to go to post as I pen this week’s column.

David O’Meara’s Prince of the Seas raced in a much better handicap over the course and distance in May when down the field and then found 10 furlongs way too sharp at Ripon last time out. Still, a mark of 89 makes him interesting despite the inexperience of his young jockey.

But in receipt of a bucket load of weight I fancy a huge run from MAYAADA (1.50), one of three possible runners in the colours of Nick Bradley Racing. A cosy winner of a class five event over a mile and a quarter at Salisbury, she was then burdened with a 4lbs penalty at Chester but was never travelling that day, appearing not to handle that turning track. 

This long home stretch should suit her so much better and she remains open to a bit of improvement over this trip. The more exposed Arqoob could also be a player, having not seen out the mile and three-quarters at Wolverhampton two outings back, before a fair run behind Asgard’s Captain in a much better race than this at Newmarket. This strong stayer also has the help of the brilliant Brodie Hampson in the plate.

Later on at the Knavesmire, MIDNIGHT STRIKE (2.25) could go well at a price, while MOUNT ATLAS (3.00) and MAN OF VISION (3.35) are both on my radar in the respective valuable events.

The best bet at Chester could well come in the form of SAVVY VICTORY (3.23) in the mile-and-a-quarter handicap. The top weight hasn’t found success since way back in December 2024 on the all-weather at Newcastle off a mark of 104, but this season he has been given some difficult tasks in a Listed contest at Kempton Park and then when always behind at Pontefract last time out. The handicapper though is beginning to relent and a rating of 96 makes him a player here despite his wide draw under Sam James.

Later on, VINTAGE CLARETS (4.00) can gain compensation for his unlucky run in the Epsom Dash, while HELMSLEY (5.12) can also take a step back in the right direction following a wide running effort at York. If Sean D Bowen can get him to relax early on, the selection is well worth an interest here.